Drastic Measures
"Now Alex, don't stay long" Centauri warned as the Last Starfighter, Hero of Rylos walked back to his ship. "You have a job here, a destiny and most importantly a fan base." Alex Rogan had made it known that he was going back to Earth to get his girlfriend Maggie Gordon and to say goodbye properly to his family and friends.
"I won't Centauri. I know I have to get back to help defend the Frontier."
"Good. Remember the fourth rule: Always trust Centauri."
"I thought that was the third rule."
"Nah my boy, the third rule is 'Always count your change'. Everyone knows that. No, it's the fourth rule I'm pretty sure. Trust me."
Alex didn't have time to argue, and he and his navigator Grig boarded the Gunstar. The remaining people on the landing platform cleared off quickly, while crowds still cheered down below. With a quick preflight check the ship launched and ascended into the heavens.
"We are in your debt Centauri" Ambassador Enduran said as they rode the lift down the structure. "Without Alex, Rylos would have fallen and the Star League would be in great peril. Even now, our safety is not certain. My son Xur escaped and even now is probably plotting his revenge. He will stop at nothing short of becoming Emperor of Rylos."
"Yes, and it's a debt I'll be happy to receive payment on when you are able. In the meantime, I could use a down payment but I assure you it's for the good of Rylos and the Star League. As you may know, I found Alex's talent through a special test, something called a 'video game'. I think I should be authorized with all due haste to continue with these testing devices in order to recruit more pilots with the 'gift' of being a starfighter. These are perilous times, and perilous times call for drastic measures. Remember the second rule: always strike while the iron is hot."
"You said 'Never rob the same person twice' was the second rule."
"Did I? I must have misspoken, because that's the fourth rule. No, 'always strike' is the second. With your leave I'll visit the treasury office and withdraw some operating funds" Centauri said hopefully.
"I'll arrange some emergency credits to be available to you by the time you get there. Use all speed possible Centauri; our safety and freedom depends on it." The Ambassador shook hands with Centauri and watched as the figure hurried out of the lift and down the hall.
"Did Genghis Khan move slowly when he founded his empire?" Centauri muttered to himself. "Did Henry Ford move slowly when he put a car in every garage? Did Thgart move slowly when he loringered every Wsottle in his path? Some twice? No, and old Centauri isn't going to delay either. I'll just add an extra 20% to my price."
…
"How many languages did you say they speak?"
Centauri was shocked as he was told how many different languages were spoken across Earth. He wanted to get as many Starfighter video games as possible into the hands of potential pilots; every game that went out was money in his pocket and another chance at a bonus for finding someone with the gift.
"Do what you have to people" he announced to the staff in the workshop. "It is vitally important to find those pilots! I need these games in the homes, I need them in the shopping centers, I need them in the arcades. Mountain top, desert, tropical island or igloo; get them out there and into human hands. Alex Rogan couldn't have been the only one with the gift; remember Alex!"
"Remember Alex!" the staff cheered. News of the victory over the Kodan armada had already spread through much of the Star League member worlds.
"It would be great if we could get a film tie-in with the game" one of the staff members suggested.
"I thought about that, but they take too long to develop. Remember the sixth rule: when opportunity comes you gotta grab it with both hands and hold on tight."
"I thought that was the fourth rule" a staff member questioned. "And what about someone who doesn't have hands?"
"I deal with that in the next room; it's no concern of yours. Remember: think like a human." With that last instruction he left to go to the next room that dealt with non-human players.
"How are the testing machines coming along?" he asked the engineer. These were being designed to be used by a wide variety of customers that bore some to no resemblance to the people of Earth.
"We've managed to cover quite a few of the planets" engineer Banur answered. "The Yulu machines were a challenge until we figured out to angle the glass so it wouldn't reflect their own image back at them; it seems even they'd rather not look at themselves."
"What about the Vrivru?" he asked.
"That is more of a challenge. We've managed to develop some psi-activated buttons to get around their lack of fingers. We're in the final stages of calibrating them now. We're just trying to find a way to keep them from using their telepathy to program cheat codes."
"Good. I want every hand, foot and tentacle possible trying these machines. If you can find a way to get fins involved, so much the better. There are barbarians massed outside our walls people, the unwashed masses just waiting to break down the barrier and take all that we have built for ourselves. Remember the first rule: the only customer you DON'T want is an unhappy one."
"I thought the first rule was to have your customer complaint line down for maintenance during peak hours" said another engineer at a nearby table.
"No, that's the third rule I'm sure" Centauri reassured quickly. "Now I won't slow you down any longer by staying; my job is tireless and I can't stop a moment to rest" he said as he left the room.
…
Centauri leaned back in the seat of his office and put his feet up on the desk, a drink in his hand. The video screen lit and Ambassador Enduran appeared on the screen. "Greetings Centauri. How goes the search for pilots?" He quickly put down the drink and pushed it out of view of the screen, sat up and mussed his hair after scattering piles of papers randomly around his desk before clicking the button to open the two-way channel.
"I don't have long to talk, but we're making progress" said Centauri, putting on his usual smile. "There have been setbacks of course, which will show in the expense budget we'll be sending in a few days. It's been nonstop pandemonium around here, I haven't stopped moving in three days. But I'm confident we'll start to have a steady stream of candidates soon. And why not? What sentient being wouldn't want to save the Star League once they find out one exists; or that alien life exists for that matter. And everyone will want to get a chance to meet and work with my boy Alex! You'll get the best, Ambassador; I promise you that! In a few weeks you'll have pilot candidates lined up waiting to get in. All recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against the Kodan Armada. Or whichever armada is waiting for us next time."
"You're always confident; I'll give you that Centauri. Alex is back now, and he's helping to set up the school for your potential students."
"And my students WILL have potential; like always, you just have to trust me." Centauri signed off and leaned back in his chair again.
"It's gonna be a sparklin' day! Sparklin'!" he thought to himself.
The End
A/N: Another movie that I enjoyed immensely. The Last Starfighter was a classic boy/young man saves the town/world/universe movie, but it did a wonderful job melding the feel of a small town with the wonder of the much bigger universe. They certainly left it open for a sequel, but I didn't really want to go into that major undertaking - at least at this time. Instead, I leave Robert Preston with a little sendoff on what was his last big screen roll, albeit a modified Professor Harold Hill.